Stone to be laid for KGH block today

Visakhapatnam: Rajya Sabha member and chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, Dr T Subbarami Reddy, has initiated steps to construct a superspeciality block at King George Hospital (KGH) with an estimated cost of Rs 78 crore for which the foundation-stone would be laid on Sunday. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Dr Reddy said Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) has offered Rs 15 crore, ONGC Rs 15 crore, GAIL Rs 15 crore, BHEL Rs 15 crore, NMDC Rs 3 crore, NTPC Rs 5 crore, HPCL Rs 5 crore and VPT Rs 5 crore in a span of five years as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). An eight-storey building would be constructed with two cellars, oncology surgical block, two surgical theatres, cancer departments, ICU units, ortho-surgical unit and seminar halls for medical students under one roof. Minister Kondru Murali would lay the foundation stone for which all local ministers and MLAs would attend, he said. Regarding the TSR Kreeda Peetam, he said it was aimed at developing and promoting all sports activities. An indoor sports stadium would be built near Indira Priyadarsini Municipal Indoor Stadium with a cost of Rs 10 crore for which land would be provided by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC). Referring to the LPG problems being faced by domestic and industrial sectors in the district, Dr Reddy said that he had already met the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Veerappa Moily and the GAIL chairman and managing director (CMD) BC Tripathi urging them to supply LPG through pipeline from Kakinada to Vizag. The Petroleum Minister and the GAIL CMD agreed to the proposal and the work would begin in a couple of months, he said. Dr Reddy said that the Rs 3-crore building being constructed for the patients' attendants was nearing completion. Claiming that he was instrumental in getting 24/7 operations at Visakhapatnam Airport, he said talks were in progress with Air India, Air Arabia and NAKI Air for operating services to Bangkok, Sharjah and Fujairah in late hours. Olympic medal winner in weightlifting Karanam Malleswari, Chess International Grandmaster Koneru Hampi and technical director of Asian Kabaddi Federation E Prasada Rao were present.